Abatements

Abatements encourage new construction or rehabilitation of properties with the exemption of all or part of the value of the improvement for a set number of years. Abatements help revitalize communities, retain residents, attract home- and business-owners to the city of Philadelphia, and reduce development costs for commercial and residential projects.

Rehab Construction for Residential Properties (Ordinance 961) — A ten-year abatement from Real Estate Taxes on improvements to existing residential properties containing one or more units. (Ordinary upkeep and maintenance are not improvements). Available for single family homes, duplexes, apartments, and condos. Not available for hotels.

Cancelling & Removing an Abatement

As a result of state legislation (House Bill 391), any property with a 10-year residential tax abatement is ineligible for the Homestead Exemption, effective for Tax Year 2015 and beyond.

Once the abatement has expired, homeowners may reapply for the Homestead Exemption, if the property meets the eligibility requirements of the Homestead program. Or property owners who wish to keep the Homestead Exemption and remove the abatement can complete the Abatement Cancellation & Removal Form. In order to remove the abatement, all owners of the property must sign the form--if there are more than two owners, they can sign/submit additional forms. Once an abatement is removed, it cannot be put back on the property.

For questions, please call 215-686-9200.

Planned Unit Development (PUD)

A planned unit development (PUD) is a large, integrated development adhering to a comprehensive plan and located on a single tract of land or on two or more tracts of land that may be separated only by a street of other right-of-way.